Many types of power tools have exposed blades, such as table saws and other power cutting tools. Contact between the blade and an object other than a workpiece can be dangerous. Safety systems to mitigate potentially dangerous conditions are continually being developed. Some such safety systems include a blade-drop mechanism that drops the blade below the working surface of the power tool when contact or near-contact with a foreign object is detected, for example. In some instances, such blade-drop mechanisms are actuated by a pyrotechnic actuator. Improved pyrotechnic actuators for these and other applications are needed.